TheAwer

I know, but I think this should also definitely be looked at. A free ride to mars with a 150kg payload and a $20,000 prize for just a written proposal sounds like it might be a lot more feasible than raising however many thousand for the cubesat launch. Or it might not be. I'm not really the best person to be looking at this stuff. Someone please look into this!

This wouldn't be a cubesat, but it's certainly another possibility. Check it out. http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/september/nasa-launches-new-citizen-science-website-opens-challenge-to-participate-in/#.VB4Fl0tIiN4

Update: I think I'll have another meeting tomorrow with the teacher (with my computer) to actually boot KSP and show him. I'll only use MechJeb. Even though I've not entirely figured out what I'll do, I'm thinking get him to try to get into orbit with a stock rocket/one I design. Then I'll show him, using MechJeb, some of the more advanced things. I'll probably have MechJeb run a Apollo replica mission (with the Munbug XI assuming my computer can handle it). Also, this isn't a public school in America, so we don't have to worry about those issues.

Okay, I just had the meeting with the teacher. However, due to the stupid school computer (admin required), I was unable to launch KSP to show him. Despite this confounding my plans, I did show him a trailer and give him some background on the game. I explained about the mods and how the realism/difficulty can be changed. I'll try to arrange another time when I can bring in my computer to actually show him the game. He said he will think about it. He has scheduled everything for the next unit, but he might be able to do it sometime or do it after the exam. I also left him with a few links, including to this thread (hello, said teacher! ) as well as to the A Plus Physics site (he actually already knew about that site).

Yeah. I also realized that although I'm used to the more stock game, the students aren't and don't have to play that way. That means that there's no real reason to not use mods like Realism Overhaul and RSS. For that matter, there don't even have to be any stock parts! However, I do have to be careful that it isn't too hard for beginners. I personally don't play with RO or RSS, but from what I've heard it's really tough. Great ideas!

Right. I love KSP, and I have a feeling this might be bad in this situation if I push building and flying over learning concepts. Hopefully the teacher is okay with doing stuff other than just the learning, but otherwise I might have to change how I'm thinking about this. The post above I wrote before reading your comment, so that's why there's the "build rocket" steps. I'll ask the teacher if I should just have prebuilt/preorbited rockets for them to use. I'm thinking I'll use NEAR (simpler, more forgiving FAR) for aerodynamics with KIDS and procedural fairings. I'll use MechJeb so I can have it do the autopilot if needed as well as for the readings. I like your ideas for activities, but to keep it fun I think we will either have to have the kids fly the rockets. If we do do that I'll need to figure out a way to make sure they all land safely (or use MechJeb? hmm). Also, doing one mission to Minmus and then the other to the Mun would make it more varied, as well as demonstrating plane changes and different surface gravity. I'll be back on tomorrow.

Here's what I've come up to propose to the teacher. I have a couple rough plans, and I'll say that I can come up with other stuff if that's what the teacher is after. Mods: probably NEAR (with KIDS and fairings) - I have to be careful that this doesn’t make things too complex and confusing (i.e. rockets flipping) MechJeb (for readouts and possibly demonstrating concepts) KerbalEdu (If we can get the alpha) Short plan (1 day) Introduce KSP Build rocket as class (or not) and class direct me when launching to orbit (will take more than 1 time without advice) Demonstrate Kepler's 3 laws of planetary motion Demonstrate orbital maneuvering Demonstrate rendezvous + docking (MechJeb?) Explain Delta-V (with MechJeb) Maybe do Mun landing and return Longer plan (4 days?) Day 1 Intro to KSP 1 Class tells me how to fly a rocket I design into orbit and land 1 Break up into groups and each group design orbital rocket and orbit, land 1 Demonstrate Kepler's 3 laws Day 2 Me demonstrate rendezvous and docking 2 Brainstorm required parts for Mun flyby mission 2 Break up into groups, design Mun flyby rocket 2 Groups fly Mun flyby mission Day 3 Me show how to land on Mun 3 Break up into groups, make list of required parts for a Mun landing + return 3 Meet and discuss required parts 3 Groups build Mun lander and launcher 3 Groups orbit their Mun lander 3 Groups do Mun transfer, orbit Day 4 Groups do Mun landing, plant flag, return to Mun orbit 4 Groups do Kerbin return, landing 4 Celebrate success! Alternate (like in A Plus Physics <http://www.aplusphysics.com/projects/kerbal.html>) day 1 - KSP basics day 1 - me demonstrate orbit, transfer, landing, return Challenges - varying difficulty, length, to take advantage of given time What do you guys think of these ideas?

Wow, that's a lot of mods. As I doubt the class will have a ton of time with KSP I think they might be too many and too complex. If I can get the class to have a longer period of time those sound fantastic, though! Thanks for reminding me about KIDS though, I'll have to put that in if I have NEAR. I also haven't heard about custom contracts with Fine Print, so I'll have to check that out. Right, but Apollo was designed by people who knew what they were doing, not high schoolers who don't have a clue (yet) about orbital stuff. I'll have to think about whether to use NEAR or not, and I'll probably consult the teacher about that.

Good ideas! Adding NEAR is probably also good idea, but then I might have to add fairings, and that might get too complicated. I'll probably add MechJeb, so they can see how well things can be done and get a readout of stats. Can anyone else think of other mods to add? Also, there's no reason to use the 64 bit version without a ton of mods, right? I'll write up a post with the suggestions I'll make in the next few hours to see if you guys can come up with any other improvements/suggestions. Of course!

Thanks for the ideas, guys! Adapting the A-Plus Physics idea does seem like a good idea, and the 3 laws of planetary motion would also be easy to demonstrate. I'll write up some more ideas later.

Hello everyone! Tomorrow I will show a high school AP Physics teacher KSP. I want to get him to use KSP in his class some way. He said that the class is studying orbital stuff soon, so this could possibly be used soon in the classroom or otherwise after the exam. I’ve heard about KerbalEdu, and their mod seems like it would be good to use. I’ve also found the A Plus Physics site (http://www.aplusphysics.com/projects/kerbal.html) and I’m thinking I could show him that as an example of what can be done in the classroom. If anyone knows of something that’s more recent, it would be great to know about that. What I’m wondering is what ideas you guys have for what the class could do. The periods are 90 minutes long, but only 2 or 3 days a week. A range of ideas would be great! I’m not sure whether the group (of about 15) would be divided up into teams or work together. What I’ve come up with so far (assuming KSP is given a fair amount of time): Intro to KSP + Design orbital rocket + orbit + deorbit (1 day?) Design mun lander + orbit + Orbital maneuvers + mun rendezvous (1 day?) Mun landing + Mun orbit (1 day?) Also, anyone know of a good trailer other than Build Fly Dream? That one seems a little too slow paced for me. I’ll be on and off today, so I won’t always be able to reply right away.

Ditto. Not even right click open in new window helps much. Also, is that "1.528 million downloads" or "1,528 million downloads"?

This sounds fascinating! I've only read to the 11th page, but if you guys are still thinking of landing on Pheobes, why not use solar panels extending beyond the engine as landing legs? You would lose the bottom side, but the top would still work (assuming they are two sided). I have really no idea what I'm talking about, but I wanted to share this before I forgot it.

Yes, there's a mod. It's called KerbCam. Here's the link <http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24757-0-23-KerbCam-v0-12-(camera-pathing-tool-for-videos)>

I don't know about that. I did a manned Mun landing and return successfully in the demo (with a ton of quicksaving and loading though), and I hadn't been playing that long before that. I had been watching YouTube videos (mostly playthroughs, not tutorials), but anyone else can do that too. Don't underestimate the power of Youtube tutorials combined with a noob with plenty of time. Also, I would think that people would get tired of a space-themed game if they cannot easily land and return any other planetary body. I think it would be safe to say that half of players don't land on bodies outside the Kerbin (and Mun and Minnimus) SOI though. I haven't done that yet, and I've been playing for a couple of months.